I was wondering if anyone else finds that their ADHD affects the way they listen to music. My short attention span and inability to take in lots of stuff at once (ADHD related traits) made it difficult for me to fully appreciate a lot of music. I like it, but I usually stuck to simpler stuff like singer-songwriter type stuff. My boyfriend loves really complex layered music like My Bloody Valentine, but before diagnosis it was difficult for me to pay enough attention to fully appreciate it.

However, after diagnosis, being on my medication made it easier to fully listen to music, appreciate all the parts and how it intertwines, and generally listen to a song all the way through. A lot of music wasn't a mind-blowing difference from what it was before, but listening to my boyfriend's music on adderall is way different and I have a way bigger appreciation for it.

So anyways, I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences and if it really is connected to my ADHD or if it's a side-effect of the drug for me or something.

For me, it was the opposite. My wife listens to a lot of different music, pop radio stations mainly. I was unable to enjoy stuff like that much in the past, because I was anti-pop. I needed music that was quirky, emotionally-charged, layered, etc., to capture my interest enough so that I would pay attention to it and truly appreciate it.

Now, I can listen to fun pop music and enjoy it for what it is. It doesn't have to be intricate, angsty, complex, etc.

I find that there is a parallel with this in writing. Some of the best books are very easy to read, with simple sentences. I have always had a hard time writing like that, preferring to pen complex sentences and even use alliteration in long prose.

I think this is because I am overfocused type add, and it is challenging for me to "switch gears." For example, I can listen to the same album over and over all day long while writing a paper, but my wife doesn't like to listen to a whole album and prefers each song to be a different artist/style. She doesn't have the same difficulty switching gears...

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